Mini Review: Tetris

- Geoff Barry

Released on PSN during the winter of 2010, we finally have the fan favorite, block-busting game on a console. This time it comes with new game modes, and multiplayer. Of course there’s the normal Marathon mode, but to test your skills you’ll want to attempt some of the variant levels. My favorite variant was Flood. I could choose from level 1-15, like the Marathon mode, while the goal was to clear 40 lines from the matrix before the water rised to the top. I also enjoyed Treadmill, where after placing the blocks the line would shift sideways. This really tested the “think-one-step-ahead” process of my game.

The multiplayer was an enjoyable experience. You can play against a friend and disrupt their game by swapping their pieces. If you see they’re about to earn a Tetris, shoot over a piece that doesn’t fit and get the upper hand in the tilt. If you’re into trophies, and there are a few to be earned, and playing multiplayer is the best ways to earn around half of the twelve that are available. You can even work together as a team and really go for some high scores.

It’s odd that games as simple as Tetris can have success for so long. It’s been popular for years and decades. Before the PSN release, we were forced to play on our PC’s and handhelds. Odds are if you decide to test out the updated version, it’s not your first time playing. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one to kill time in class while “working” on a research paper, using one of the many forms of Tetris that are available on PC’s. If you do want to try out this version, drop $9.99 on PSN and you’ll be hooked for hours.